Photoprint-drier.



E. A. KRONER.

PHOTOPRINT DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-24, I917.

Patented Sept. 3, 1918..

g o H 0 0 Jill" ESTELLE A. KRONER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

PHOTOPRINT-DRIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 3, 1918.

Application filed November 24, 1917. Serial No. 203,720.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ESTELLE A. Knoivnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Photoprint-Driers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines or apparatus for drying photo. prints or other similar articles, and is particularly directed to improvements in the construction of machines of the character shown in my copending application filed July 10, 1916, Serial No. 108,261.

The objects of this invention are to improve the construction of photo print driers; to provide a novel arrangement for keeping the belts alined on the drum and rollers; to provide simple and eliicient devices for automatially taking up the slack in the belts and giving them a sufficient tension; and in general, to provide such ad 'antages and improvements in construction as will be described more fully hereinafter.

In the accon'ipanying drawings illustrating this invention,

Figure 1 is a side iew of my improved machine Fig. 2 is a plan view;

Fig. 3 is a detail showing the guiding cord which is bound in the side of the belt.

As shown in these drawings, 4 indicates a frame of any suitable construction in which is mounted a relatively large heating or drying drum 5. This drum may be heated in any well known manner. This drum is mounted in bearings 6, and is provided with a worm wheel 7 for turning the same. The wheel 7 is engaged by worm 8 on a shaft 9 which is supported by suitable bearings in the frame and is provided with a worm wheel 10 adjacent to the lower end thereof. This wheel is driven by a worm 11 on the shaft of a motor 12. This provides a simple form of drive, and gives the proper reduction in speed as the drum is driven at a comparatively slow speed. A belt or apron 13, which is made of suitable absorbent material such as cloth or the like, passes around the drum 5, and then around a guide roller 14, and then back and around guide rollers 15, 16, 17 and 18, in the manner shown in Fig. 1. The guide roller 1d is mounted in arms 19, which extend .outwardly and forwardly at the top of the the rollers 1 1- and 15, thereby taking up any slack in this belt, and giving it the necessary tension.

A second belt or apron 26, similar in charactor to the belt 13, passes substantially around the drum 5, overlying the belt 13,

and then around guide rollers 27, 28, 29, 30, 17 and 18, as shown in Fig. 1. Two arms 31 are pivoted at 32 to the frame 1, and are provided with adjustable weights 33. These arms carry a roller 3-1 which engages with k the portion of the belt 26 between the rollers 29 and 30, and takes up any slack in this belt; and gives it the necessary tension.

The difiiculty of keeping wide belts in proper alinement when running over pulleys, or when operating in a machine of this character, is w ll understood, and one of theprincipal features of this invention consists in the means provided for holding these belts in proper position on the drum and guide rollers. As shown in Fig. 3, the edges of the belt 13 are provided with cords or ropes 35 which are secured thereto in any convenient manner, as by being sewn in the hems of the belt. These ropes not only strengthen the belt, but form longitudinal guides therefor. These guides are engaged by grooved pulleys or wheels 36 and 37 at each side of the machine. These pulleys are mounted on brackets 38 so that the ropes run between the respective pairs. Any number of these guide pulleys may be used, but I have found that two sets or pairs arranged at the top of the machine are sufficient. The belt 26 is provided with similar ropes 39 which are engaged by pulleys 410 and 11 mounted on brackets 42 at the back of the machine, this arrangement serving to guide the outer belt. A removable box 13 is arranged to receive the dried prints.

The prints or other articles to loe dried are fed into 'the machine on the feeding area or table provided by the portion of the belt 13 between the rollers 1 1 and 27. The prints are carried in between the two bells, then around the drum where they become dried, and then pass out between the rollers 16 and IT and are discharged into the box 43. The reverse curve formed by the rollers 17 and 18 tends to straighten the prints after they have been curred in pass ing around the drum. 7

Haring thus described my invention, what I claim and desire. to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a photo print drier, the combination of a frame, a heater drum mounted in said frame, detachable arms extending out tardly at the top of the frame, a guide roller carried by said arms. and a belt engaging with said roller and said drum, the arrangement being such that guide roller and arms may be adjusted or removed from the main frame.

2. In a photo print drier, the combination of a heater drum, means for turning said drum, pair o'l belts coacting with said drum for cari ving the prints around the same, guide rollers for said belts, longitudinal guides on said belts, and means engaging with said guides for holding the belts in alinenient.

3. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination of a heater drum, means for turning said drum, a pair of belts eoacting with said drum. guide rollers for said belts, ropes secured at the edges of said belts, and wheels engaging with said ropes for holding the belts in alinenient on the drum and rollers.

in In a photo print drier, the combination of a frame, a heater drum mounted in said frame, means for turning said drum, a belt of absorbent n'iaterial passing around said drum, guide rollers for said belt, a second belt passing around said drum and superimposed orer the first named belt, guide rollers for said second belt, ropes sewn in the henis of each of said belts, and grooved wheels arranged in pairs on the said frame and engaging with the portions of the belts containing said ropes for holding said belts in alinement on the drum and rollers.

In a photo print drier, the con'ibination of a frame, a heater drum mounted in said tame, guide rollers mounted in said frame, detachable arms secured to the top of the frame, a guide roller mounted in said arms, a belt engaging with said drum and said guide rollers, ropes sewn in the hem of said belt, grooved wheels secured to said frame and engaging with the hems of the belt, an automatic tightener for said belt, a second belt engaging with said first named belt and passing partially around said drum, a plurality of guide rollers for said second named belt, ropes sewn into the hem of said second named belt, grooved wheels secured to said frame and engaging with the hems of said second named belt, and an automatic tightener for said second named beltv ESTELLE A. KRONER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

